A bill empowering police to arrest illegal
immigrants and charge them with trespassing for simply being in the
state of Arizona, is likely just weeks away from becoming the toughest
law of its kind anywhere in the country.

Already passed by the state's Senate and currently being reconciled with a similar version in the House, the bill would essentially criminalize
the presence of the 460,000 illegal immigrants living in the state.

The measure allows police to detain people on the suspicion that they
are illegal immigrants, outlaws citizens from employing day laborers,
and makes it illegal for anyone to transport an illegal immigrant, even a
family member, anywhere in the state.

The bill's supporters say a local crackdown has become a necessity
because the federal government has failed to adequately seal the borders
or actively enforce its laws. They blame Arizona's spiraling crime and
unemployment rates on its large population of